The Twilight Zone
by Raziel12
Summary: Lightning's velocycle breaks down an hour away from Bodhum. Luckily, she doesn't have to wait too long for a car to pass by. There's just one problem: the driver of the car seems to know her a little too well. A Halloween fic.
1. Chapter 1

**The Twilight Zone: Lightning**

Bang.

Something inside Lightning's velocycle jolted loose. The vehicle pitched sharply to one side, and she had to fight to keep it upright. Somehow, she managed to get it over to the side of the road before it ground to a halt. Thin trails of smoke wafted up from the inside of the machine.

This was perfect, absolutely perfect.

It was bad enough that she'd been assigned another late patrol, but now she was stuck on the side of the road at least an hour from Bodhum. Her fists clenched. Serah would have to eat dinner alone again. And knowing her sister, Serah would fall asleep at the table – again – hoping that Lightning would be back in time to join her.

Some sister Lightning had turned out to be.

She took a deep breath. There was no point in getting angry. All she could do now was radio in for help. If she was lucky, there might even be another Guardian Corps officer nearby. Otherwise, she'd have to wait until another car passed and she could hitch a ride. At worst, she'd be stuck here until the end of her shift. When she didn't report in, they'd have to send someone out to look for her.

Another cold breeze rustled past, and Lightning tugged on her jacket. It wasn't normally this cold on Halloween, but maybe winter had come early this year. If only she could wear pants, but whoever had designed the female Guardian Corps uniform seemed to think that pants were evil.

A few minutes later, a pair of lights appeared in the darkness. It was a car. She moved to the side of the road and waved. The car blinked its lights in acknowledgement and then eased to a stop in front of her. She breathed a sighed of relief. It was a Guardian Corps car although she wasn't familiar with this particular model of car.

The passenger door popped open.

"Need a lift?" The inside of the car was dark, the driver's features hidden within the hood of a thick Guardian Corps jacket. But based on the voice, the driver was a woman. Lightning examined the jacket more closely and then snapped to attention as she recognised the insignia of rank on the shoulder. This woman was a general.

"Thank you, ma'am." Lightning gave the general a salute. "I would appreciate it."

"Hop in."

Lightning slipped into the passenger seat and did her best not to fidget as the general pulled back onto the road. There wasn't anywhere to put her velocycle, so someone would have to come back for it in the morning.

For a few minutes, neither of them said a word. Instead, Lightning looked out the window. They were an hour from Bodhum, but she should still have been able to see something. But outside the window was a solid mass of inky darkness. Had there been some kind of power failure? That would explain why she couldn't see any lights and why no one had replied on the radio.

"You look anxious, soldier." The general didn't look away from the road ahead, but her voice was filled with faint amusement. There was something familiar about her voice too, as though Lightning had heard it many times before. But that couldn't be right. She'd never met a general before. "You keep looking out the window."

Lightning straightened in her seat and did her best to look anywhere but the window. "I have a few things on my mind, that's all, ma'am."

"Is that so?" Lightning couldn't see the general's face, but she could have sworn she was smiling. If there was a power failure, she hoped that Serah was all right. She should be – they had candles and flashlights. "Do you mind if I ask what you're thinking about?"

Her private life was not something that she liked to discuss, but Lightning wasn't sure she could actually say no to a general. Well, she could, but she didn't know if she would still have a job afterward. And she and Serah really needed the money.

"You know," the general said. "You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger. You see, I lost both my parents when I was younger, and I had to look after my little sister. Those were some tough years. The Guardian Corps were the only ones who would take me."

That got Lightning's attention. "Ma'am?"

"Everyone has their own burdens to carry." The general gave a quiet chuckle. "But my sister was never a burden. I didn't mind working long hours because it was all for her. All I wanted was for her to be happy and safe. That didn't stop me from feeling lonely sometimes, though." The general glanced quickly at Lightning, and Lightning caught the gleam of icy blue eyes. "The look on your face just now was exactly the same look I used to have back then."

Lightning let out a breath she hadn't even known she was holding. Despite the fact that they'd only just met, the general's story did a lot to set her at ease. If she was telling the truth, then the general did understand. Maybe… maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to tell her a few things. "Can we keep this off the record, ma'am?"

"Sure. I'm not on duty anyway."

Lightning looked out the window. It was easier to talk when she didn't have to look at the other woman. "You're right. I was thinking about something. I'm a lot like you. My parents are both dead, and I have a younger sister to look after. She's still in school, so it's hard."

"I bet it is. And you're new to the Guardian Corps as well." Lightning's eyes widened, but the general gave another quiet chuckle. "I've been in the Guardian Corps a long time. You can always tell when someone's new. Besides, only the rookies get stuck working the late shifts this far from town."

"I don't mind doing the work, ma'am. It's being away from Serah that I don't like."

"Serah?"

"My younger sister."

"Right." The general tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. "It's hard isn't it? You want everything to stay the same with your sister, but how can it? She's still in school, and you're out doing patrols and making arrests. You live such different lives now. It's tough."

That was exactly it. Lightning sank back into her seat. She'd struggled to support herself and Serah for so long that it was a relief to meet someone who understood. "Yes, ma'am. I… I try my best for her, I do, but there are times when she needs me to be her sister and times when she needs me to be her mother. I feel like I'm making a mess of things. I'm not her mother, and sometimes I don't even feel like I'm her sister anymore."

"Why is that?"

Lightning bit her lip. She didn't want to say anything, but it was hard to keep the words in. She'd kept these thoughts to herself for so long that they were burning her up inside. "I worry that she'll fall in with the wrong crowd. I worry that she'll get into trouble since I'm never around anymore. I try to set rules. I try to look after her. But we end up arguing most of the time. It's… I hate arguing with her, but she's so young, and I don't want her to get into trouble –"

"You're doing your best." The general reached out with one hand and patted Lightning's shoulder. Lightning had to blink back tears. It had been so, so long since someone had given her that kind of support. She was strong – she had to be for Serah – but she was tired of always having to be the bad guy. Their parents should have been the ones setting rules and grounding Serah when she got into trouble, not Lightning. But they were dead, so Lightning had to do the best she could, even if she and Serah got into arguments because of it. "That's all anyone can ask."

"She deserves better." Lightning sighed. No one had ever taken the time to talk to her like this – she hadn't let anyone. She'd been forced to grow up fast, and she refused to burden Serah with her problems and fears.

"You can talk if you want." The general's voice was soft and almost gentle. "I'll listen."

Lightning bit her lip. And before she knew it, she was blurting out the details. There was no structure to what she said. All of her fears and worries tumbled out in one big mess. But the general didn't seem to mind. She listened, and right now that was what Lightning needed most – someone who would listen.

"I… I don't know what I'm doing," Lightning confessed. "I feel like I'm losing her."

"You'll never lose her."

"How can you be so sure, ma'am?" Lightning swallowed thickly. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to you and your sister? It… it sounds like you've gone through what I'm going through now."

"We went through some difficult times," the general said. "But it worked out in the end. Even when we were arguing, I don't think we ever forgot how much we loved each other." She paused, and her eyes caught and held Lightning's. They were an intense blue, sharp and hardened by years of experience yet gentle somehow despite that. "If I could give you one piece of advice it would be this: don't close yourself off to love. Your sister loves you and wants to support you. And she's stronger than you think. Don't be afraid to lean on her from time to time. She can handle it. Don't forget to look after yourself too. Who knows, you might even find someone to love you."

"I'm not interested in love." Lightning scowled. She had no time for romance, no time at all. Serah had to come first.

The general laughed. "I said the same thing too, but you'd be surprised by how quickly things can change. Don't be afraid to grab love when you see it. Remember: nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides, I get the feeling that it would take someone pretty special to catch your eye."

Lightning did not like the way this conversation was going. "Ma'am?"

"You're very straight-laced aren't you?"

Lightning didn't dignify that with a reply. Finally, she sighed. "I guess so, ma'am."

"Of course you are. But the person who catches your eye won't be. Think tall, brunette, green eyes. Think a little too mischievous for her own good."

Lightning froze. She'd never discussed her sexual orientation with anyone. Not even Serah knew if she preferred men or women. It was private, and she didn't see how it was anyone else's business. "Ma'am?"

The general didn't say a word, and Lightning was about to press the issue when the car suddenly entered a town. But it wasn't Bodhum. Sure, the buildings looked similar, but the layout of the streets was completely different. There was also a lot of unfamiliar vegetation. Above them, unfamiliar stars and an unfamiliar moon filled the sky. She caught a glimpse of a sign out the window: Welcome to New Bodhum.

New Bodhum?

Halloween was supposed to be a time when strange things happened. Lightning wasn't one to put too much stock in fairy tales, but this couldn't be normal.

"Ma'am, stop the car."

"I don't think I will."

Lightning tried to draw her gun blade, but the general was even faster than her. The weapon was tugged out of Lightning's grasp and tossed into the back seat. Lightning was about to lunge after it when the general pushed back her hood. All the breath rushed out of Lightning's lungs. She was looking at an older version of herself.

"What… is… this?"

"A lot of what they say about Halloween happens to be true." The general rolled her eyes. "Trust Vanille to be right about something like that."

"Vanille?"

"Never mind." The general smiled. "I have to admit, I was a little surprised when I heard you over the radio. But I knew I had to pick you up."

"Who are you?" Lightning stared. This woman looked exactly like her, albeit older.

"I think you know." The general's lips twitched. "After all, I did mention having gone through what you're going through now."

"Then…"

"I'm General Lightning Farron."

"So everything you've said…"

"Take my advice: give love a chance. Trust me, it'll be worth it."

"About what you said…" Lightning was still trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. Had she crashed her velocycle? Was this a hallucination? "You said I'd meet someone…"

The general pointed out the window. "Look."

Lightning looked out the window. They were driving past a towering tree of a species she didn't recognise. Sheltering beneath its branches was a woman she'd never seen before. She was tall with tanned skin, dark hair, and emerald eyes. A strange blue garment was draped over a body toned almost to perfection. A spear was slung over one shoulder, and her lips were curled up into a smirk. She barely seemed to see them or the rest of the town, but for a split-second, her and Lightning's eyes met. Something flared in Lightning's gut, a heat that was equal parts longing and recognition. She knew this woman somehow – or she would one day.

"Who was that?"

"I don't want to spoil the surprise." The general seemed amused by Lightning's reaction – and by the flush on Lighting's cheeks. "But trust me, you'll find out."

And then the town around them was fading. They were out on the open road again. Lights came on in the distance, familiar lights. They stopped.

"Here's where you get out." The general nodded at Lightning. "Go on, this is your stop."

"Wait!" Lightning's eyes went from the unlocked door to the older version of herself beside her. "About Serah –"

"You'll work things out with her. It won't always be easy, but you will always, always have each other. Believe in her, she definitely believes in you. And don't forget what I said about love. It'll find you one day when you're least expecting it."

"I have more questions –"

The general shook her head. "I've already told you more than I should have." She pushed Lightning out the door. "Take care, and look after Serah."

Then the general was gone. Lightning stared after the car until it vanished, swallowed up by the night. She was startled out of her reverie by the honk of a car horn. It was Lieutenant Amodar.

"Sir?"

He leaned out the window and eyed her velocycle with a wry look. The general had dropped her off right where they'd started. "That thing is toast. Hop in, I'll give you a lift back." He noticed the strange look on her face. "It's Halloween, Farron. See something creepy? It's only been five minutes since you called over the radio."

"Five minutes?" That couldn't be right. She had been with the general for at least an hour. "Did you see that other car, sir?"

"What other car?" Amodar laughed. "Maybe you are spooked. Come on."

Lightning got into the passenger's seat. "It's nothing, sir. I must be tired."

"Well, you have been taking a lot of extra shifts." Amodar gave her a thoughtful look. "Too many, I think. We've got another batch of rookies coming in next week, Farron. I can move you onto a daytime patrol if you want."

"I'd like that, sir."

Lightning leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes as Amodar headed toward Bodhum. Daytime patrols would mean more time with Serah. But her sister's image didn't linger long. Instead, it was the other woman who appeared in her mind's eyes, the one with dark hair and green eyes.

Who was she?

Her lips twitched. She would find out one day. She was sure of it.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

Halloween is coming up, so I thought I'd try my hand at writing something with a bit of a supernatural bent. Of course, this isn't a scary story so much as it is a story about something a little unusual happening. There have long been superstitions about the kinds of people or things that you can run into on a lonely road late at night. In Lightning's case she happened to run into herself from the future.

There really isn't too much to say about this chapter other than I hope to get a companion piece up (this time involving Fang). I just thought it would be nice to see future Lightning talking to a younger Lightning. Personally, I think one of the biggest changes Lightning could undergo as she gets older is learning to love and trust others. She's so big on self-reliance, but it's okay, sometimes, to lean on others. And the Lightning from the game (and presumably earlier) is so closed off toward love that learning how to love and be loved would be a big change for an older Lightning. Naturally, older Lightning has a bit of advice about those things for her younger counterpart. It might seem a little odd that younger Lightning got talking so easily, but if there's anyone who knows how to get her talking, it's older Lightning.

Finally, I hope that everyone who participated in the free promotions for _The Last Huntress_ and _The Gunslinger and the Necromancer_ enjoys the story/stories that they picked up. If you do enjoy them, please take a few moments to leave a review on Amazon or pick up one of my other stories, _The Lord of Dark Waters _(the sequel to _The Last Huntress_) and _The Burning Mountains_.

My apologies also to anyone who wanted to pick up a copy but could not. Unfortunately, Amazon has some rather strange policies regarding many of the countries in South-East Asia. For instance, there are countries where you cannot purchase an eBook from Amazon without obtaining a US-based credit card or something similar.

If you did enjoy _The Last Huntress_ and _The Lord of Dark Waters_, I am currently working on the next story in the series. I won't give too much away but there are drakes, hydras… and one badass dragon. Yep, things are never boring for Scarlett and Rose.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Twilight Zone: Fang**

Fang knew she shouldn't leave the village so soon after an attack, but she couldn't bear to stay another minute. She had to hit something, or she'd go crazy. Those damn vipers! If only she could kill them all! Cocoon had struck again. She'd helped protect Oerba, but half a dozen other villages had been burnt to the ground.

After the battle, she'd stumbled into one of Oerba's makeshift hospitals. It wasn't for treatment. She was looking for Vanille. She found the red head surrounded by wounded and dying warriors. The clothes she wore were covered in blood. People were screaming and crying and praying and begging. The smell of blood and death hung over everything.

It was hell, and Vanille was right in the middle of it.

Vanille saw Fang and shoved her out of the hospital. They were busy enough as it was. Fang waited outside until Vanille was done with her shift. A few hours later, Vanille staggered out of the hospital and threw herself into Fang's arms. Weeks of pain and frustration poured out of her. Vanille sobbed as she told Fang about all the people she hadn't been able to save. They'd trusted her – all of them – and she'd failed them. They were dead because she hadn't been good enough.

Eventually, Vanille cried herself out and fell asleep in Fang's arms.

None of this was Vanille's fault.

It was all because of Cocoon.

Fang carried Vanille back to their house and tucked her into bed. The red head tossed and turned, her brows furrowed even in sleep. Whatever horrors she'd experienced, they refused to leave her alone. Fang's jaw clenched. She couldn't be here. She had to go somewhere before her anger slipped out of her control and she hurt someone.

A few of the other warriors tried to stop her, but she snarled and shoved her way out of the village. She strode into the long grass with her spear and killed the first animal that challenged her. Who cared if she didn't need it? She was burning inside. Her jaw clenched, and her hands tightened around the shaft of her spear. Something leapt at her from behind, and she turned to drive her spear up into its gut.

A feral snarl burst from her lips. The creature hissed and spat, and she wrenched her spear free. Blood poured form the wound. She brought the spear back down on the creature's head. It went still. The air was too thin. She couldn't breathe. Her heart pounded in her chest. She stumbled deeper into the long grass. Another animal came after her and then another. She killed them all.

She had no idea how long she flailed her way through the long grass. She barely even noticed all the blood splattered on her clothes and skin. It was only when it began to rain that she came back to her senses. She found herself standing over the corpse of another animal. She'd shoved her spear into its chest and twisted the weapon cruelly to kill it.

Fang dropped to her knees and pressed her head to the ground. Shame filled her. She'd been taught never to kill without reason. But instead she'd gone out and slaughtered anything that crossed her path because she was angry. That was no way for a warrior to behave. Slowly, she stood and turned her face up to the sky. The rain washed the blood off her face. At least some of the other animals would eat well tonight.

The rain grew heavier until her clothes were soaked through. She'd wandered quite far from the village. Her best option was to wait for the rain to stop. She ran for the closest tree. It was an enormous thing with densely layered branches. Some said it was haunted, and tonight… tonight was Halloween. She clenched her jaw. There were demons, all right, but they came from Cocoon, not some tree.

She got a fire started and huddled close to the tree where its leaf-laden branches would provide shelter from the rain. She kept her underwear on but hung her sari near the fire to dry. At least she wouldn't have to go hungry while she waited. She had dragged the last animal she'd killed over to the fire and prepared a few skewers of its meat to cook over the flames. As the scent of the cooking meat filled the air, she wished she'd brought some herbs and spices. But she hadn't exactly been in the right frame of mind when she left.

Her gaze drifted over her surroundings. She could not afford to drop her guard here. The weather made any further attack from Cocoon unlikely, but there were still plenty of animals around. A rustle came from the long grass nearby. She grabbed her spear and waited. There was almost thirty feet of open ground between the edge of the grass and her fire. That was more than enough time for her to identify the intruder and, if necessary, attack.

It was no beast.

A tall, cloaked figured stepped out of the long grass, a spear slung over one shoulder. From the way the figure walked, it was a woman. The cloak was covered in traditional Yun patterns, but it was made of a fabric she didn't recognise. A hood hid the woman's face, but Fang caught a glimpse of green eyes.

"Do you think I could share your fire?" The woman's voice was warm and somehow familiar. "It's raining pretty hard out here."

The woman had stopped just outside the protection offered by the tree's branches. Thrusting her spear into the ground, she opened her hands to show there was nothing in them. It was also a sign of trust. At this distance, Fang would have no trouble hitting her with her spear.

"Who are you?" Fang asked. She'd never met a viper that could speak her language, but there was always a first time. It would be exactly like Cocoon to resort to lies and tricks.

"Someone looking for a place to wait out the storm." The woman shrugged. "If it helps, I'm Yun. From the looks of it, so are you. There's not too many of us left. We should look out for each other."

"You're Yun?" Fang tightened her hold on her spear. "Prove it."

The woman put one hand on her spear. There was a blur of motion, and the weapon thudded into the tree trunk. Fang's eyes widened. The spear had passed close enough to cut a few strands of her hair.

The woman put one hand on her hip and laughed. "Ever seen anyone who wasn't Yun handle a spear like that?" Fang gave a slow shake of her head. "Does that mean I can come over there, or am I going to have to stand here and get wetter?"

"You're welcome to join me." Fang glanced back at the spear. It was buried more than foot into the tree. She needed to learn how to do that.

The woman yanked her spear out of the tree and then settled down on the opposite side of the fire. "Thanks. I don't mind a bit of frolicking in the rain, but this is a little too much rain." Her gaze flicked to the sari drying near the fire. There were still streaks of blood on it. "I'm guessing it was you I heard killing all those critters earlier. Something get on your nerves?"

Fang scowled. She still couldn't believe she'd lost control of her temper like that. "I shouldn't have done that. I wasn't killing them for food, or even sport. I was… angry."

"About what?" The woman reached over to adjust the skewers of meat near the fire. A second longer and one side of the meat would have started to burn. "You don't have to answer, but it looks like you could use someone to talk to. Trust me, I've seen a lot of things in my time. Talking often helps."

Fang looked into the fire. She didn't have a lot of people she could talk to. She respected the other warriors, and they respected her, but they weren't family. Vanille was the only family she had now, and she didn't want to burden her younger sister with anything else. Vanille had enough to worry about. This other woman was another Yun and a warrior. If anyone could understand, she could.

"Cocoon!" Fang spat. "All they bring is pain and death. They killed my family and Vanille's family, and they won't stop until they've killed the rest of us."

"Vanille?"

"My little sister." Fang dragged in a deep breath.

"You said they killed your family and hers. You had different families."

"That doesn't matter. We're family now."

"I understand." The woman's voice was almost gentle. "Believe me, I do." She tapped her spear on the ground. It was a fine weapon, exactly the kind that Fang wanted. "So, you hate Cocoon."

"Of course I do. Don't you? Think about everything they've done, all the people they've hurt."

"Let me ask you something." The woman leaned back and stared out into the rain. "If you could kill everyone on Cocoon, would you?"

"Yes!"

"Really?" The woman laughed, but it was a soft and sad. "You really would?"

"Yes." Fang snarled. "They deserve it for everything they've done."

"You think they're all vipers, don't you?" The woman sighed and then reached across to whack Fang over the back of the head. Fang growled and lunged forward. She was already one of the best warriors in Oerba. She wasn't about to let some stranger – Yun or not – hit her. With a speed that few could match, she threw half a dozen blows. Any one of them would have been enough to end a normal fight. Not a single one of them landed. The other woman dodged them with almost contemptuous ease. Then Fang was on the ground. The woman had kicked her feet out from under her. If that wasn't humiliating enough, the woman sat on her back.

"You're pretty slow." The woman patted Fang on the head. Fang tried to elbow her, but the other woman caught her arm. She was strong, even stronger than Fang. "Sloppy too."

"Slow?" Fang bucked, but the other woman refused to budge. "Sloppy?"

"Compared to whom I'm used to fighting? Yeah, you're damn slow and very damn sloppy." The woman pinched one of Fang's cheeks. "Now, I'm going to talk, and I want you to listen and think about what I'm saying. Understand?" Fang writhed and ended up eating dirt for her trouble. "Look, I can understand you hating Cocoon. For long, long time, I did too. A lot of them are jerks. But ask yourself: are all of them the same? Are they all like the ones that killed your family?"

"Get off me!" Fang strained for even an inch of leverage. Her opponent gave her nothing.

"Those soldiers have families, Fang." Fang froze. She'd never given this woman her name. "They have brothers and sisters who don't fight. They have children. And you want to kill all of them. You know what it's like to be an orphan. How would you feel about creating a few million more? Oh wait. There won't be any orphans. You'll kill all of them."

Fang went limp. Had her anger really gotten that bad? But there wasn't any other option. Cocoon wouldn't stop until everyone on Gran Pulse was dead. It was kill or be killed. But how had the woman known her name? Maybe this tree really was haunted.

"Who are you?" Fang fought to catch a glimpse of the other woman's face. All she saw were a pair of green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"We'll get to that." The woman patted Fang on the cheek. "It's all right to be angry, you know. But you can't let yourself get so angry that you forget who you are and what you stand for. Sure, kill all the soldiers they send after you. That's fair. Kill or be killed. But remember that not everyone up there deserves to die. One of these days, you might get the chance to bring down Cocoon, and I want you to remember what I said. They're not all vipers. Some of them are good people, maybe the best people you'll ever meet."

There was something about the way the other woman spoke that got on Fang's nerves. She spoke as though she knew some of those vipers.

"You're a traitor." Fang struggled again. "How many of them do you know?"

"I'm the last person you should be calling a traitor." The woman laughed and poked Fang in the cheek. Fang tried to bite her finger and got a poke on the forehead for her trouble. "I'm as loyal as they come, and so are you, most of the time."

"Most of the time?"

"Think of Vanille. Right now, she's probably having some horrible kind of nightmare about all the things she's seen. You know better than anyone that hospitals can be worse than the battlefield. She might even wake up scared and go looking for comfort. You're her older sister, the only family she has in the whole wide world. And where are you? You're out here with me instead of back home with her."

Shame filled Fang again. She should be with Vanille. Fear was not far behind. "How do you know so much about Vanille? Who are you?" The woman's voice was familiar, too familiar.

The woman let her stand, and Fang came up swinging. The woman dodged her first few attacks with the same disturbing ease and then folded her in half with a kick to the gut. Fang's breath rushed out of her. She stumbled back to her feet. Another kick laid her out on the damp grass.

"Honestly, you are a stubborn thing, aren't you?" The woman prodded Fang in the side with one foot. "As for who I am, you could say that I'm the ghost of Christmas Future."

"What?" Fang tried to grab the woman's leg. The woman stepped back out of reach. "That's doesn't make any sense." If only she could get to her spear.

The woman reached up to scratch her cheek. "Oh yeah, Christmas is more of a Cocoon thing. Oh well. It'll be easier if I show you." She pushed back the hood of her cloak.

Fang went still. That was her face looking back at her, only older. Everything from the eyes to the hair was hers. Even the smirk – the same one that Vanille loved to see – was the same. That smirk widened even more when the other woman saw Fang's reaction.

"Surprise."

Fang shook her head. "This isn't real." She got back to her feet. "I must be hallucinating or something."

Her older counterpart rolled her eyes and then punched Fang in the gut. "Does that feel real?"

Fang dropped to her knees. "Yes."

"Then it's real." The older Fang sighed. "Damn it. Serah was right. I really did have to punch you in the gut to make you believe I'm real."

"Serah?"

"Don't worry about her. You'll meet her… one day." The older Fang grinned and sat down by the fire. She patted the spot beside her. Not sure that she had any other option, Fang sat beside her.

"Those things you said to me… you really had a chance to destroy Cocoon?"

"You could say that. You might even say I had more than one chance."

"So we win?" Fang leaned forward. "Cocoon falls and Gran Pulse wins."

The older Fang shook her head. Her eyes were filled with pride and sorrow as she looked at Fang. "Nobody is going to win this war, kiddo. That's why I want you to listen closely. All of this killing – all of this war – I get why you do it. I've lived it. You don't have much of a choice. The people you're fighting don't have much of a choice either."

"What do you mean? They don't have to come down here trying to kill us."

"Maybe they do. Maybe they think they do. You'll work it out one day. Remember, not everyone from Cocoon is evil. Some of them are very good."

"So, you know some of those vipers?"

The older Fang laughed so hard she nearly fell over. "Oh yeah, you could say that. Hell, I married one of them."

"That can't be." Fang's eyes widened with horror. "I wouldn't. I –"

The older Fang only laughed harder. She slapped Fang over the back. "Right now, you think all of the people on Cocoon are monsters. They're not. Some of them – a lot of them – are ordinary people." Her voice softened. "You already know that family is about more than blood. One day, you'll understand that family doesn't care where people come from. It just cares."

"You make it sound like we lose." Fang stared into the fire. "You make it sound like Cocoon wins."

"I told you, nobody wins." The older Fang took a deep breath. "I can tell you that much. Deep down inside, though, you already knew that. You know that someone has to fight back. You know that only Anima can give you the power you want. But you're not stupid. You know that power is going to come with a price, a price you're willing to pay to make sure Vanille never cries again."

"What did you do?" Fang whispered. Her older counterpart looked haunted by the decision she'd made.

"I did what my heart told me to." The older Fang shrugged. "It was hard, but it's led me to where I am today."

"And where are you?"

"I'm happy. I have a family now, a real family. Sure, they're strange, but they're family. I wouldn't trade them for the world. Well, I might trade a few of them when they're being annoying, but you get what I mean."

"And Vanille?" Fang had to know. She couldn't bear it if something happened to Vanille.

"I probably shouldn't tell you, but I guess I can." The older Fang smiled. "She's fine. In fact, she's so ridiculously cheerful that sometimes I wish I could strangle her."

Fang couldn't help but laugh. She knew what that felt like. "Can you… can you show me?"

"A little. Come walk with me."

"Where?"

"To the other side of the tree."

Fang followed her to the other side of the tree and gasped. They were no longer in a great field of long grass. Instead, they were in the middle of a town. People walked the streets, smiling and talking. Houses of unfamiliar design sat behind carefully kept lawns. There were even a few white picket fences.

"What is this?"

"You asked to see, so I showed you." The older Fang chuckled. "It's not quite what you expected, is it?"

"They seem so happy." Fang shook her head. Where were the warriors? None of them were carrying any weapons. "These people don't know what war is, do they?"

"Not really, but that's a good thing. Don't worry. There are still warriors among them, warriors fine enough to match any from Gran Pulse."

"I doubt it."

"You'd be surprised." The older Fang's lips twitched. "And do you think I'd marry someone who couldn't keep up? No, she might not be quite as strong as me, but you'll never meet anyone faster than her. You might even say she's as fast as lightning." The older Fang laughed. Fang didn't see what was so funny. Then her older counterpart stepped back behind the tree. "Look over there."

Fang looked. A car drove past. The driver was hidden in the shadows of the dark interior, but the passenger was clearly visible. Lush pink hair settled around a face that was almost regal in its beauty. For a split-second, their eyes met, green on blue. Fang's heart thumped. Her gut clenched. A sense of familiarity swept over her. She knew this woman. But that was crazy. She'd never met someone with blue eyes and pink hair before.

The car was gone.

"Not bad, is she?" The older Fang came back around the tree and threw one arm over Fang's shoulder.

"Who was that?" Fang swallowed thickly. Was she from one of the other villages? If so, she had to find her. There was something about her, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She had to meet her. She had to know what put such cold fire in those blue eyes.

"You'll meet her later." The older Fang looked up. The rain had started to slow. "Looks like I'm almost out of time."

"Wait!"

"Remember what I said. Don't let your anger get the best of you, and don't be afraid to trust a few people from Cocoon. Don't trust all of them, mind you. A lot of them are jerks, but you'll know the ones you can rely on when you see them. They'll prove themselves to you. They might even become family." The older Fang paused. "Oh, and one last thing: persistence is the key to love. Some people have all the emotional intelligence of a rock. Don't give up on them."

Fang stared. What did that even mean? The older woman strode into the long grass. Fang ran after her, but there was no one there. Her older counterpart was gone. A chill wind rustled past as the rain finally stopped. She grabbed her clothes and spear, took the meat she'd cooked, and ran back to the village.

When she got back home, Vanille was calling out in her sleep. Fang looked at the clock on the wall. Less than half an hour had passed since she'd left. That couldn't be right. She went upstairs and pulled Vanille into her arms.

"Fang?" Vanille latched onto her tightly and sobbed. "Fang…"

"It's okay." Fang settled into the bed beside Vanille. "I'm here. You're safe. Go back to sleep, I won't let you have any bad dreams."

"What are you going to do?" Vanille sniffled. "Beat them up?" 

"If I have to."

"Dummy." Vanille curled up against Fang. "Are we going to be okay, Fang? With the war and everything…"

"I think so." Fang closed her eyes and ran her fingers through Vanille's hair. She could still see the smile on her older self's face. She'd been so happy, and apparently, Vanille was too. "By the way, Vanille, do you know anyone with pink hair? She might be a warrior."

"Pink hair?" Vanille giggled. "Whoever heard of a warrior with pink hair?"

Fang chuckled. That was a good point. No one with pink hair could be that scary. Could they?

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

This is the companion piece to the previous chapter. In this chapter, however, it's future Fang visiting past Fang. Although Fang comes across as relatively happy go lucky in the game, I do think that she would have been quite an angry person at some points in her life. Watching her world come under constant attack does that to people. She also had a tendency to try and take everything on herself, to not accept the help of others. This is a problem she shares with Lightning, but I'd like to think an older Fang has realised that and learned how to deal with it.

I decided to have older Fang give younger Fang a bit of an ass kicking since I don't know if there's any other way that she could get her younger self to listen. I can't imagine a younger Fang taking too well to the whole "not everyone from Cocoon is evil" thing without a bit of physical persuasion. One of the pivotal choices Fang made in her life was to try and bring down Cocoon. I know how the story is supposed to, but I think if she'd really, really wanted to bring it down, she would have been able to the first time. Perhaps there was something else at work. Perhaps she realised that they didn't all deserve to die. At least, maybe that's how it goes.

There will be one more chapter. It will not be nearly as serious as either of these two chapters. Instead it will be more of a collection of omake since I had a lot of other ideas that I considered including but ended up scrapping since they had a completely different tone (the majority of them are humorous to the point of being extremely silly).

Finally, I hope that everyone who participated in the free promotions for _The Last Huntress_ and _The Gunslinger and the Necromancer_ enjoys the story/stories that they picked up. If you can, it would be great if you could take a few moments to leave a review on Amazon or to pick up one of my other stories, _The Lord of Dark Waters _(the sequel to _The Last Huntress_) and _The Burning Mountains_.

My apologies also to anyone who wanted to pick up a copy but could not. Unfortunately, Amazon has some rather strange policies regarding many of the countries in South-East Asia. For instance, there are countries where you cannot purchase an eBook from Amazon without obtaining a US-based credit card or something similar.

If you did enjoy _The Last Huntress_ and _The Lord of Dark Waters_, I am currently working on the next story in the series. I won't give too much away but there are drakes, hydras… and one badass dragon. Yep, things are never boring for Scarlett and Rose.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Twilight Zone: Outtakes**

**Outtake/Omake #1: The Important Things In Life**

Diana was halfway through the Gary the Gorgonopsid Halloween Special when a burst of blinding light filled the living room. She dove behind the couch and looked for something to use as a weapon. Good, her wooden practice sword was still there. Sword in hand, she peeked over the top of the couch.

The light faded to reveal… her.

"Ah! A clone!" Diana leapt over the couch and swung her practice sword right at the clone's head. The evil clone – and everyone knew clones were evil – ducked.

"Stop!" her clone shouted. "Wait!"

Diana eyed her clone suspiciously. Wait… why was her clone taller than she was? "Why should I? I'm not going to let you fool me, you evil clone."

"I'm not a clone. I'm from the future." The other Diana folded her arms over her chest. "And I have something super, duper important to tell you."

"You're from the future." Diana grinned. "Awesome. Do they have dragons in the future? How about giant hamsters that shoot lasers from – ouch"

The future Diana had grabbed a newspaper and bonked Diana over the head with it. "I'm not from that far in the future. I come from one year in the future."

"Why did you hit me?" Diana brandished her sword.

"Because you weren't listening."

That wasn't a good enough excuse. Diana dropped her sword and charged. The wooden weapon might give her an advantage, but it would be kind of dumb to hit her future self over the head with it. What if she gave her future self brain damage? All she wanted was to hit her a little bit… and maybe strangle her a tiny bit too.

The pair ended up on the floor, but despite her valiant efforts, Diana lost the scuffle. An extra year's worth of height, weight, and experience was too much.

"Are you going to listen now?" Future Diana asked.

"Fine." Losing was kind of bad, but Diana didn't mind too much. Her future self was awesome!

"It's about Gary."

"Gary?" Diana squirmed out from under her future self. "Wait, did something bad happen to Gary?"

Future Diana's face was a mask of pure pain and anguish. "Gary got cancelled."

Cancelled…

CANCELLED….

"What?" Diana dropped to her knees and looked up at the ceiling. "Nooooooo!"

"Shhh!" Future Diana put one hand over Diana's mouth. "Listen to me. We can still save Gary. He isn't cancelled yet. Mom and mommy are super important people. If we can get them to help us, they might just be able to save Gary."

Diana nodded. Of course, her mom and mommy could do anything. They knew how much she loved Gary. They wouldn't let Gary get cancelled. "Okay."

"Good." Future Diana began to fade away. "Remember what I said." Then, just as she was about to disappear, she added, "Look on Averia's bookshelf. She's been hiding candy in a fake book."

Five minutes later…

Lightning was about to start making dinner when a dark-haired blur latched onto her leg.

"Mom!" Diana wailed. "You have to use your Guardian Corps powers to save Gary!"

Lightning stared. This… this was new. And was that candy in Diana's pocket? "Uh… sure."

X X X

**Outtake/Omake #2: Not Quite Ready Yet**

Serah liked making out with Snow. She liked it a lot. Despite how big he was, he could be incredibly gentle. Snow also happened to be a hands-on learner. And he was very, very good with his hands. If only they didn't have to hide away somewhere or wait until her sister was out on patrol.

"Snow?" she asked as her boyfriend pulled away. Like her, his face was flushed. His blue eyes shone.

"Sorry." He grinned. "I kind of needed to breathe." He smirked. "But now that I've got some air in my lungs…"

They picked up right where they'd left off.

His hand was beginning to creep under her shirt – a shirt that she'd picked because of how much it did to accentuate her slim figure – when there was a brilliant flash of light. Her eyes widened. It had to be a flash bang. Her sister must have come back early, and now she was going to come charging in through the door to kill Snow. Serah shoved him off and tried to get up. If Lightning was in a shooting mood, Serah had to get her gun blade away from her as soon as possible.

However, things didn't go according to plan. Snow was bigger than her – a lot bigger. Instead of shoving him off, all she accomplished was sliding them off the couch. She ended up underneath him on the floor.

"Ah! I'm not ready to be born yet!"

Serah's eyes widened in disbelief as a little girl with pink hair somehow managed to drag Snow off her.

"Bad daddy!" the girl growled. "I don't get born for a few more years."

"What… what… WHAT?" Snow's mind seemed to have ground to a halt.

But so had Serah's.

Serah would have been more than a little pissed off about a girl calling Snow her father if it wasn't for two things. First of all, the girl seemed to be about nine years old. There was no way Snow could have a nine-year-old daughter. And two, she had pink hair. Serah only knew two people in the world with hair that colour, and there was absolutely no way in hell that Lightning had let Snow anywhere near her vagina.

"Hi, mommy." The girl waved. "Happy Halloween."

Naturally, that was when Lightning walked into the living room.

Serah hoped with every fibre of her being that Lightning had not heard what the little girl had said. She should have known better than to trust in hope.

The girl gave Lightning a sunny smile. "Hi, Aunt Lightning."

Lightning took one look at the girl and then looked at Serah and Snow. Surely, Serah thought, her sister would realise that there was no way this little girl was her and Snow's daughter. Surely, surely, surely…

"Snow." Lightning's gun blade stopped an inch from his face. "You have five seconds to explain."

X X X

**Outtake/Omake #3: No Journey Is Ever Boring**

Fang scowled at Lightning's back. It was bad enough that the soldier had declared herself the leader of their little band of l'Cie, but now she'd begun to take things out on everybody else. Nothing was ever good enough. No one was ever good enough. If Fang had to listen to one more lecture or complaint, she would knock Lightning's teeth out.

Lightning was halfway through another lecture – and Fang was planning on how best to spear her – when there was a flash of light. Something with pink hair flattened Lightning, and the others scrambled to prepare their weapons and magic. Then they relaxed… a bit. The 'something' turned out to be a pink-haired girl who bore a disturbing resemblance to Lightning. The only real difference appeared to be her eyes, which were a deep green.

"Oh, mom." The girl looked up at the rest of them and then winced. "Oops, I might have gone a bit too far back."

"Mom?" Snow sniggered. "I didn't know you had a kid."

"I will kill you." Lightning got to her feet. As much as she hated to admit it, she understood where Snow was coming from. This girl looked like a miniature version of her. "Who are you? Did Barthandelus send you?"

"I'm Averia." The girl shrugged and gave the sky a very Lightning-like scowl. "I'm from the future. I was only supposed to back a few years, but Aunt Vanille's time machine must have messed up."

Everyone stared at Vanille.

"You built a time machine?" Lightning glared, and Vanille hid behind Fang.

"Wait! That's not fair! You can't blame me for stuff I haven't even done yet," Vanille said.

"Watch me."

"Averia." Snow stepped behind Hope. The boy would make for a good human shield. "Who is your father?"

"Father?" The girl frowned. "I don't have a father."

"Wow," Fang quipped. "You sure know how to pick them, Lightning. The poor kid has got a dead beat dad." She sniggered. "Who'd have thought you'd have such crappy taste in men."

Averia looked at Fang. Then she smirked. It was Fang's smirk. "I wouldn't laugh if I were you. You're my mommy."

"…" Fang and Lightning looked at each other. Snow, Hope, and Sazh looked back and forth between the two. Vanille was already halfway through their wedding in her imagination.

"Wait." Sazh reached up to pet the chocobo in his hair. "Did I hear that right?"

"You did." Averia went over and extended one hand toward Sazh. The chocobo jumped into her palm. "Mom and mommy love each other very much. They're always kissing and stuff. It's kind of weird." Ignoring the others, she gave the chocobo a pat on the head. "Wow, you're really small, Chirpy."

Hope fought back a blush as he did his best to avoid imagining Fang and Lightning kissing and doing "stuff". He failed miserably. He was, after all, a teenage boy. "Wait, if you're from the future, Averia, do you have any advice for us? You know, about this whole fal'Cie thing?"

Averia started to fade away. "Uh… do what you think is right. Trust each other and stuff. It'll work out." She paused. "And don't let my parents kill each other. I kind of like being around."

Once Averia had vanished, Lightning rounded on Fang.

"What are you planning to do to me?"

"What?" Fang backed away, hands up. "I haven't done anything to you."

Lightning's eyes narrowed. "But you will. How else do you explain the fact that I apparently have your kid in the future?"

"Wait…" Fang looked at the others for help. Despite Averia's words, they had all decided that discretion was the better part of valour. "Lightning, wait, wait… gah!"

X X X

**Outtakes/Omake #4: Wrong Experiment**

Vanille looked up through the skylight. A mighty storm was brewing in the sky over New Bodhum. Her loyal minion – ahem, assistant – Diana stood ready to throw the switches hooked up to their latest experiment.

A smile crossed Vanille's lips. What a wonderful young woman Diana had turned out to be. She loved science almost as much as Vanille did. The red head checked the robot on the table one last time. This would be their finest work: a walking, talking robot… with a soul… and guns, heaps and heaps of guns.

The sky above them cracked. Lightning tore through the clouds.

"Now!" Vanille cackled. "Now!"

Diana threw the switches.

A bolt of lightning hit the lightning rod high above them and sizzled down into the lab through a complex series of wires and other equipment. The energy poured into the robot on the table. A few wisps of smoke rose from the robot's chest. Vanille leaned forward. Had it worked?

The robot jerked upright.

"Exterminate!" The robot's voice was tinny but menacing. "Exterminate!" The words were accompanied by a blast of energy from one of the robot's guns. "Exterminate!"

Vanille and Diana ran for cover as the robot attacked everything in sight.

"This isn't working out so well," Diana said.

"It could be worse." Vanille ducked as one of her computers exploded. The keyboard flew across the room, little more than a big lump of melted plastic. "At least your mother isn't here."

Well…

A gun blade rammed into the robot's chest before a thundaga blew it apart.

General Lightning Farron reached behind the counter and dragged Vanille and Diana to their feet. The eye patch she wore over her left eye did nothing to detract from the ferocity of her glare.

"What was that?"

"Heh. You look like a pirate." Vanille giggled and then fell silent in the face of yet another glare. "What? You do."

Lightning scowled. This was why she couldn't wait until tomorrow. She'd been out on the steppe with Fang when a creature had managed to spit something into her eye. It wasn't permanently damaged, but she'd been forced to wear an eye patch for a few days to protect the injury. It didn't help that Fang thought the eye patch was actually pretty hot. She'd even asked Lightning to dress up and "shiver her timbers."

"Vanille, I asked you to build a better velocycle, not a killer robot." Lightning pointed at something in the corner. "And what is that?"

The machine in question vaguely resembled a velocycle but with a lot more dials, knobs, and extra machinery.

"That's a time machine."

"A time machine?" Lightning sighed. "I really hope you're joking. If you're not, then don't even think of using it. You'll probably break the universe or something." She turned to Diana. "And please stop enabling your aunt."

"Well, a time machine would be kind of cool…"

"Diana, you and your aunt are not going to use that time machine. I forbid it." Lightning rubbed one hand over her face. "You are coming over for dinner tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Of course I am." Diana smirked. "As if I'd miss out on a chance to watch Averia squirm while you put her girlfriend through the wringer again."

"We're not that bad." Lightning turned on her heel. "Maybe."

Lightning was halfway down the corridor when Diana and Vanille began to cackle together. Note to self: keep a closer eye on Vanille's funding.

X X X

**Outtakes/Omake #5: Unusual Times Require Unusual Allies**

Chirpy hadn't actually expected the time machine to work. The only problem was he hadn't come back a full-grown chocobo. Instead, he'd woken up in the body of his younger self. He was a chick again, small enough to fit in Sazh's hair.

And that's where he was right now – Sazh's hair. The time machine had managed to send him back to the right time with all of his memories intact. Now, all he had to do was make sure the l'Cie managed to get through their journey in one piece. He doubted he was the only one who'd been sent back. The fal'Cie had probably sent a few of their own back too.

Around him, the l'Cie had started to bicker. He gave a quiet cheep, and Sazh answered him. Good, the dark-skinned man could still understand what he was saying. There was still hope. He could still guide the l'Cie and save the future. Everything would be okay. The fal'Cie might know that someone had been sent back in time to help the l'Cie, but they would never suspect him.

No one ever suspected the chocobo.

Movement from the pocket of Snow's trench coat caught his eye. His eyes narrowed. A small head poked out. It was Mr Cuddles – they must have sent the hamster back too. Chocobo and hamster locked eyes. Understanding passed between them.

They might not like each other, but they liked a lot of the same people. They had no choice but to work together. Together, the hamster and the chocobo would save the future.

X X X

**Outtakes/Omake #6: Just A Little Bit Creepy**

Fang couldn't help the silly grin forming on her face at the sight of the pink-haired, young woman sitting in the classroom across the way. Young Lightning looked damn good in a school uniform, even if she didn't quite fill it out the way her older counterpart would have. That was okay. She was only sixteen. She had plenty of time to grow – Fang's grin widened – and she would definitely grow.

"You know, most people would find what you're doing creepy."

Fang jerked back and almost fell out of the tree. Her binoculars tumbled toward the ground only to be caught and lifted to a face Fang knew only too well. Lightning Farron looked into the classroom and sighed.

"I was so naïve back then." Lightning's lips twitched. "And I look so…"

"Hot?" Fang jumped out of the tree.

"You sound like a pervert, Fang. That version of me over there is sixteen."

"Well…"

"Fang, you're hiding in a tree staring at a high school girl through a pair of binoculars. You don't think that's at least a little bit creepy?"

"Hey, I happen to get married to that schoolgirl when she's older." Fang laughed. "And how else did you think I was going to keep an eye out on your younger self? It's not like I can just go over there and introduce myself. What would I say? 'Hi, I'm Fang, and when you're older we're totally going to get married and have heaps of awesome sex.' Yeah right, if the younger version of you didn't punch my face in, I'd get arrested."

"I should arrest you." Lightning smirked. "Pervert."

Fang tugged Lightning into her arms. "As if you mind. You happen to enjoy my being a pervert most of the time."

"Maybe." Lightning bit back a smile as Fang's hands began to wander. "But the me in that classroom is still under age. There is to be absolutely no ogling until I'm eighteen or older."

Fang pressed her face into Lightning's hair. "Meanie."

"Deal with it. Besides, I can't wait to see what you were like when you were younger."

"You're not missing too much. I've pretty much always been awesome."

"Right." Lightning pulled a phone out of her pocket. "Vanille, we're ready. Send us back to younger Fang. How about when she was sixteen?"

"Oh? Now who's being a pervert?"

"Oh, shut up." Lightning rolled her eyes as they started to fade away. "I might like the younger you more. You were probably less arrogant. Probably less perverted too."

"Hey! Are you trying to make me jealous of myself?"

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I neither own Final Fantasy, nor am I making any money off of this.

In case it isn't obvious, you really shouldn't take this chapter too seriously. I had a lot of ideas that I never got around to using when I wrote the first two chapters, mostly because they were too ridiculous. These outtakes are kind of a sample of those ideas.

As a story mechanic, time travel can be very interesting. Watching the flow of events change due to a time traveller can be incredibly fascinating. The smallest differences can sometimes lead to the biggest changes. I've considered a few more serious time travel stories before, but I've never gotten around to doing any of them. Probably my favourite idea would be altering events so that Fang and Vanille wake up early with full knowledge of the future. When Lightning signs up to join the Guardian Corps, she finds that her instructor is someone very familiar.

It's November now, and in the spirit of the month, I have a few original fiction projects that I'm working on and planning. I'll keep you posted on those. If you are interested in my original fiction, you can finds links to that in my profile. If you're after some fantasy with a healthy dose of action, check out _The Last Huntress_ and its sequel _The Lord of Dark Waters_. If high fantasy is more your style, _The Burning Mountains_ might be for you. And if you like paranormal Westerns featuring zombies and demons, then have a look at _The Gunslinger and the Necromancer_.

Also, I hope that everyone who participated in the free Amazon promotion I ran for _The Last Huntress_ and _The Gunslinger and the Necromancer_ has enjoyed the story/stories they got. If you did enjoy them, it would be great if you could leave a review over at Amazon or have a look at my other stories.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


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